Telephone systems are known which provide a common interface between a plurality of users and a public telephone network. These systems have been referred to as PBX systems. A typical PBX system includes a central box with line cards providing connections to assigned lines of a public telephone network. The central box is connected by wires such as twisted pair wires to individual telephone units. The connection from the central box to the telephone units may be by way of analogue or digital signals. More recently, digital signals are sent by the central unit to the phone units. The digital signals include voice data as well as control and messaging data. The units typically include a simple handset as well as a speaker for paging, intercom type communications and speaker phone applications. Typically the base unit also includes a microphone. The handset is a typical handset providing a speaker and a microphone.
Telephone systems using distributed networks, such as local area networks (LANs) are also generally known. With these systems, a distributed network is provided, such as CSMACD (IEEE 802.3) generally known as Ethernet. A telephone network system is provided with a central box having line cards connected to the distributed network. Network devices are also connected to the Ethernet network. The network devices include network telephones with, for example, a base unit with a speaker and a microphone and a handset (with a speaker and a microphone). Data packets are sent over the network between network devices. A network control processor or the network call processor (NCP) may be used to monitor and control the access to the public telephone network. Features specific to the user may be established with the NCP.
Computer network systems typically include a control feature. This allows an administrator to monitor the network system. The control feature normally allows for basic network functions to be monitored, the status of components to be monitored, the connectivity status of connected devices to be monitored, as well monitoring system resources. The interface between the administrator at the system can be by a graphical user interface or other similar software interface convenience. It is also known to send e-mail messages to a connected network device to alert the administrator of some situation. The e-mail alerting feature is useful but is constrained by physical limitations of the network as well as the physical position of the administrator or administrators.